The World According to Willie Nelson

More than 50 years into his legendary music career, Willie Nelson is still doing whatever the hell he wants. On his new album, Let's Face the Music and Dance (out today), the American iconcovers a wide range of musical ground—from swing to country, pop standards to jazz—as only he can. The 79-year-old remains a paragon of the outlaw culture, an avowed road dog who still spends most of his days touring the country. We caught up with Nelson before a recent gig in Iowa, where he was reflective, playful, and full of that patented Willie Wisdom.

Men's Health: George Carlin once said, “When evolution has been outlawed, only the outlaws will evolve.” What does that mean to you?

Willie Nelson: I don’t really think I’ve evolved that much, between you and me. [Laughs] I’m never sure what I’m supposed to do. I’ll have to read up on the outlaw code and see what outlaws are supposed to be doing today.

MH: For a good while, you defined the outlaw culture.

Nelson: The word “outlaw” has a lot to do with freedom to do what you want to do with no restrictions, and I certainly believe in that. But as for my music, it was a record label marketing thing someone dreamed up when Waylon [Jennings] and I decided to do our own things. That label actually sold music. It worked.

MH: You began writing songs at age 7. Do you remember that first song?

Nelson: I started out writing poems before I figured to put melodies to them and play the guitar. Somewhere, there’s a book out there on all those early songs and poems. I hope no one ever finds it. I don’t think it’s my finest work.

MH: Let’s Face the Music and Dance moves through many genres, as much of your music does. Is there one song on the album that particularly speaks to you?

Nelson: The title song is just a fantastic song. Irving Berlin wrote some great ones, you know. I thought seriously about doing a whole album of his songs, which would be really easy to do, but decided to spread the love a little bit. So we’ve got a little bit of everything on this one.

MH: You’re a black belt in kung fu. How did that happen?

Nelson: Oh, I don’t know. Really, all my life, Charles Atlas and Bruce Lee were on my mind. It’s a good form of exercise, especially as you get older. I went through school playing all kinds of sports. I played shortstop. I ran track. I played football. I was a pole vaulter. Then when I went to Nashville, I got into some martial arts and kung fu. I liked it. We used to offer kung fu lessons to the kids in town. It’s good for you.

MH: That mind-body-spirit connection probably makes it a little easier when you’re on the road for long stretches.

Nelson: Even when you’re off, you have all this time you're given in life, and it’s better to have something to do with it. Keeps you out of trouble. Sometimes. [Laughs]

MH: Let's hear some words of wisdom from an American icon.

Nelson: As far as advice goes, an ex-father in law of mine once gave me the best advice I ever heard. He said, “Take my advice and do what you want to.” So with that, go on.

MH: You have seven children. What advice do you have for dads?

Nelson: You want to be a good parent and you want to be a friend, and it’s hard to be both. You have to balance it as well as you can.

MH: How about in the realm of love?

Nelson: No advice at all. I have no advice—zero—on that subject.

MH: What’s the secret to being cool?

Nelson: When I see someone I think is cool, he's a pretty well-adjusted individual. He's not too affected one way or the other by what’s happening, no matter what’s going through his mind. I heard Rita Coolidge once say, “On the outside, I look pretty calm, but there’s a 37-piece orchestra going off in my belly.” Now that’s cool.

MH: You wrote a book a few years ago, The Tao of Willie, which is about the power of positive thinking. How do we do that, despite the deep valleys we sometimes endure?

Nelson: Well, it’s not easy—that’s for sure. [Laughs] It ain’t for sissies. It’s an ongoing problem, an ongoing situation, life is. It’s just life, and it never stops and it never will. You just be thankful for what you’ve got, and move on.

MH: There have been so many high points in your career. I’m wondering if you recall the best moment.

Nelson: When I was about 11 or 12-years old, I had been working in the field, picking cotton, baling hay, for a couple of bucks a day. And then I got this job in this Bohemian polka band one night, and I made eight dollars the first night. And I said to myself, “Well, here we go. This is success.” And I’ve just been that way ever since.

MH: You’re almost perpetually on the road. Do you still love it?

Nelson: I do. I still look forward to going out every night. And I’d like to say, to do an hour-and-a-half show, you have to be in pretty good shape. When you're singing, you’re using extra muscles, and it requires a lot of exercise and breathing. You can’t do that if you’re a sissy. If I have any fitness advice for people, I’d tell them to sing more. It’s good therapy, too.

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